Leeds United nears £40M agreement with Manchester City for James Trafford

Leeds United is closing in on a £40 million deal to acquire goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City. Personal terms have reportedly been settled and the player has given his approval, with the deal expected to include additional performance-based add-ons. Trafford, born in October 2002, is already an England international. He came through Manchester City’s academy after joining in 2015, then bounced around on loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers before making a permanent move to Burnley in 2023. Trafford rejoined Manchester City from Burnley in July 2025 for what was reported as a British-record fee for a goalkeeper. The signing would make Trafford Leeds United’s third acquisition of the current summer transfer window, following deals for Tarik Muharemovic and Harry Wilson. Newcastle United had also shown interest in Trafford earlier in July 2026, which suggests a competitive market for the 23-year-old keeper and validates the price point Leeds is paying. Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.